The Ministry of Coal, through its PSUs—CIL, NLCIL, and SCCL—is promoting the use of treated mine water for drinking, irrigation, and industrial purposes in line with environmental and water conservation laws. This is done under the Environmental Protection Act (1986), Water Act (1974), and CPCB/SPCB guidelines. PSUs have also created their own standard procedures to ensure safety and effectiveness.
For drinking use, treated water undergoes regular testing by accredited labs as per BIS IS 10500:2012, CGWA, and other standards. Treatment processes like sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection are followed before supply.
Efforts are underway to expand these initiatives across all coal and lignite mining states, using surplus treated water to meet domestic, irrigation, and industrial needs.
